Dave Chappelle says, “You hear so many voices jockeying for position in your mind that you want to make sure that you hear your own voice.” This is something I completely agree with. In his 2005 film Block Party he responds to his critics by doing something he wants to do for a change. After taking an unexpected hiatus from his insanely successful comedy show everyone thought Dave had gone insane. He turned down fifty million dollars because he didn’t believe in the show he created anymore. His ideas were no longer supported and the show got away from its original roots. Television executives and even his writing partner never saw his departure coming which shows how much Chappelle had been pushed past his breaking point.
On September 12, 2004 Dave Chappelle brought people together in the Bed-Stuy neighborhood of Brooklyn New York. The neighborhood itself is a far cry from affluence and wealth with crumbling buildings and shattered windows. The neighborhood is also said to be the birthplace of hip-hop as well of the former stomping grounds of legendary hip-hop icon Biggie Smalls. The block party idea is a throwback to historical get togethers that brought neighbors together to celebrate. Dave’s historical block party celebrated music and embraced diversity.
Shot on a grainy 16 mm camera, director Michael Gondry truly captures the feel of the neighborhood and of the block party itself. The viewer feels apart of the performance as we see clips from artists with personal anecdotes and Dave’s' humor throughout. We witness Erykah Badu pulling off her wig, a performance of Kanye West belting out “Jesus Walks” backed up by John Legend, as well as an extraordinary performance by the newly reunited Fugees singing “Killing Me Softly.” No where else is such raw video and emotion able to show these artists all together performing for the sake of performing. The entire event is inspiring and it’s easy to feel like we’re right there with them.
http://www.fancast.com/movies/Dave-Chappelles-Block-Party/56350/61815692/Dave-Chappelles-Block-Party/videos One of the great aspects of the block party is watching those in attendance. People knew something big was going to happen, but no one knew where or the exact details until a bus whisked them away to the secret location of the infamous Brooklyn neighborhood. Tickets could not be purchased, only won or given away in a Willy Wonka style “golden ticket” fashion. Dave invited people from his small town Dayton Ohio neighborhood and beyond. Older white shopkeepers and retired folks were personally invited on his distant adventure. People who had never heard hip-hop were given the opportunity for a new adventure. In the film Dave laments “Rain rain on my parade…5,000 black people chilling in the rain-19 white people peppered into the crowd-everybody’s welcome-try to find a Mexican…” Although the crowd wasn’t hugely diverse, it was the ones who were apart of the crowd that we knew their story and made the film even more of a slap in the face to Dave’s critics.
The block party itself had performances from socio conscious artists who are about more than making a profit and are in the business because they desire to make a difference. Comprised of Dave’s personal favorites, artists included Kanye West, The Fugees (reunited), Jill Scott, the Roots, Mos Def, John Legend, Erykah Badu, Common, and Dead Prez. These are all artists who have challenged political and social issues pushing them away from mainstream radio play.
Michael Eric Dyson, a leading critic of race and popular culture says, “Instead of attacks on hip-hop culture, we need sharp, just, well-informed evaluations of its artistic statements and ethical imagination.” This is a great statement and one that Dave Chappelle showcases in Block Party. Every song has a message of empowerment and a fight against injustices. Dead Prez, a group I was unfamiliar with before had a great chorus of “Turn off the radio.” That statement hints at a deeper message of not making music for the mass media or the radio friendly scene. Instead of easy money which all of these artists could do because of their incredible talent, they take a different approach and sing about what’s important to them. It’s unethical that these artists don’t have a voice, yet artists that sing about drugs and sex and money are all over the place. The importance that hip-hop music has on our society needs to be explored and valued.
There is a vast amount of reviews for this film online, and one review in particular by Kevin Carr of 7(m) pictures states “Rather than being an edgy-yet-relevant slice of life piece, it is more reminiscent of the rockumentaries from the 1970s and 1980s which showed artists taking themselves much too seriously.” I completely disagree with this lament and it seems almost as if the reviewer has not even seen the film. The whole idea of the block party is about uniting people and artists performing what they want to perform. They sing on one another’s songs, interact and joke back and forth with Dave (Mos Def in particular) and their egos are non-existent. Block Party is about letting go of stigmatized generalizations and more about uniting as one to celebrate hip-hop.
A review I did agree with was written by film critic Mark Pfeiffer on Reel Times a movie going journal. He states “the activity before the event and offstage are as important as the performance itself…the fun for Chappelle is being able to bring people together to have a good time.” Dave himself proclaimed early on in the film that the making of Block Party has been the highlight of his career. The thing he is most proud of. That speaks volumes given the amount of talent and regard he has in the comedy industry. Throughout the film Dave jokes back and forth between takes lightening up the heavy mood of the performances.
Overall this is an excellent film that can’t be missed. If you’re a die-hard hip-hop fan or even a Chappelle fan this film is a testament to what hip-hop music is capable of achieving.
